Peter Morgan

After nearly two decades paying his dues by writing industrial videos and TV projects, Briton Peter Morgan emerged as the "it" screenwriter of 2006, thanks to the royal successes of two critically acc...
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Dame Helen Mirren's play about Queen Elizabeth II is to be changed before it lands on Broadway amid fears American audiences might not recognise the British prime ministers featured in the story. Mirren reprises her role as the British monarch in The Audience and the story focuses on her interactions with 12 political leaders, including Winston Churchill, Tony Blair and current incumbent David Cameron.
However, writer Peter Morgan has been tweaking the script prior to the play's Broadway debut to make sure U.S. audiences don't get confused.
He tells the New York Times, "We are not throwing out two prime ministers and putting two others in, but we are making constant refreshments. Just tightening the nuts one more time."
Mirren also insists that the political nature of the play should not put off potential theatre-goers, adding, "Even if you have no understanding of the (British political) system or the chronology of British prime ministers, the play is very funny, and it gives you a growing realisation of what this woman has been through and experienced. This builds over two hours as you get an understanding of the variety and length of this woman's reign."

British monarch Queen Elizabeth II is headed to the theatre to check out Kristin Scott Thomas's depiction of her in The Audience. The royal is said to be planning a trip to see the London play, which chronicles her weekly meetings with various U.K. Prime Ministers.
Playwright Peter Morgan previously voiced his disappointment when Elizabeth failed to visit the stage drama during its inaugural 2013 run, with Dame Helen Mirren as the star, but the Queen has now requested a viewing of the show.
Morgan tells Britain's Sunday Express newspaper, "The Queen has asked to see the play herself. She apparently said she was sorry to have missed it on its last run and I think that's partly because it took that long for enough people to have seen it in her circle to tell her it's worth seeing. I know her private secretary came and various former high-ranking courtiers and present courtiers."
The play has enjoyed huge success throughout its run, winning a number of awards. A Broadway production is planned for this year (15).

Confession: We have a love/hate relationship with Frank Underwood. He’s so bad but he’s so fun to watch. House of Cards will officially return to Netflix for a third season on February 27th and as we gear up for more political drama, let’s take a look at our favorite White House manipulator. Why do we still root for him even after he’s said and done despicable things? Did we learn nothing from Walter White and Dexter Morgan? Guess we have a thing for anti-heroes. [Spoilers ahead!]
1. When he manipulated Peter Russo and then staged his death.
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We felt bad for Peter, but he wasn’t free of sins either.
2. When he cheated on Claire with Zoe.
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Claire is the most understanding wife of all time, and we guess we’re pretty understanding too because we forgave him for that.
3. When he killed Zoe in cold blood.
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On the one hand, Zoe was super annoying. On the other hand, he PUSHED HER IN FRONT OF A TRAIN! Who saw that coming?
4. The Meechum threesome.
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Can you even?! That Frank, Claire and Meechum hookup threw us for a loop but we had to admit it was one of those great jaw-dropping moments.
5. When Frank ruined things for Freddy.
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We always liked Frank’s friendship with Freddy, but then he had to go and ruin it. No more barbecued ribs. Sad face.
6. When he says things like this:
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And we’re all like, thank God you never spawned.
7. When he acts like he’s God.
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Talk about a power trip!
8. Whenever he’s out for revenge.
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We’d never want to be on his bad list, but it’s so fun to see how he deals with his enemies.
9. Every time he gives words of wisdom…because it’s always slightly creepy.
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But he says things which such eloquence, right?
10. When he basically dismisses everything our country stands for.
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11. When he expresses his views on sleep.
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He's always out for blood anyway, so that would just bring him one step closer to being a vampire.
12. When he killed that suffering dog.
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Dude. That was rough.
13. Whenever he adds another secret to the pile.
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How does he keep all of his secrets and lies straight?
14. The way he manipulated the president so he could become president.
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He's the leader of the free world right now. We're both scared and excited.
Even after all this, we’re still dying to see what he does next!
What were some moments where YOU loved to hate Frank? Follow us on Twitter and tell us!
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Splash News
Funnyman Steve Martin has led tributes to his pal Robin Williams, following the Mrs. Doubtfire star's death on Monday (11Aug14). Williams was found dead in his home in Marin County, California. He was 63. Reports suggest he committed suicide.
Martin took to Twitter.com on Monday afternoon, shortly after the sad news broke and wrote, "I could not be more stunned by the loss of Robin Williams, mensch, great talent, acting partner, genuine soul."
David Steinberg, Williams' manager for 35 years, said in a statement: "Nobody made the world laugh like Robin Williams. My brother, my friend, my soul mate, I will miss you."
Cher added, "Oh Robin... He was Sweet LOVELY,Man. He ran high voltage,Mind Always Going, It was who he was.I Know Well..Many X's from High There is Only Low.So Sad", while Williams' Mrs. Doubtfire co-star Mara Wilson writes, "Very sad, very upset, very glad I did not have to hear about this though Twitter. Probably going to be taking some time off it for a while."
Genie. You're free. pic.twitter.com/FWQWPDPP42
— Evan Rachel Wood (@evanrachelwood) August 11, 2014
Other Twitter tributes have come from Johnny Depp, Michael J. Fox, Rihanna, Rita Wilson, Steve Carell, Jared Leto, Morgan Freeman, Kristin Chenoweth, Jon Cryer, John Cusack, Jenny McCarthy, Logan Lerman, Evan Rachel Wood, Sharon &amp; Jack Osbourne, Pink, Ellen DeGeneres, Rose McGowan, Shannen Doherty, Josh Groban, Eddie Izzard, Eric Idle, Ashley Tisdale, Marlee Matlin, Mandy Moore, John Krasinski, and Mia Farrow, who posted, "No! Robin Williams you were so loved."
Miley Cyrus never met Williams, but admits the news of his death hit her hard: "I can't take the Robin Williams news. I've never cried over someone I've never met but I can't stop."
And Lindsay Lohan adds, "Mr. Williams visited me the first day of filming The Parent Trap. I will never forget his kindness. What an enormous loss. My condolences."
His former co-stars Henry Winkler and Minnie Driver were also among the first celebrities to pay tribute to Williams. Happy Days star Winkler wrote, "To watch him create on the spot was a privilege to behold... Robin you are an angel now !!! REST IN PEACE", while his Good Will Hunting castmate Driver added, "My Heart's broken. Robin was a beautiful, kind soul. Can't bear that he's gone. So incredibly sorry for his family."
One of the late funnyman's final co-stars, Joel McHale, states, "RIP @robinwilliams. You were one of the very best that ever was. You were one of my heroes."
And Williams' Mork &amp; Mindy co-star Pam Dawber, who recently reteamed with Williams in U.S. TV comedy The Crazy Ones, has revealed she's "devastated" by the sad news of her longtime friend's death. The actor's The Crazy Ones co-star Sarah Michelle Gellar simply posted nine photos of herself with Williams on Twitter.com.
Other thoughtful words came from Glee stars Chord Overstreet and Lea Michele, who wrote, "So heartbreaking to hear the terribly sad news about the amazing Robin Williams, thank you for bringing so much laughter and joy to us all", and Kevin Spacey, who added, "Robin Williams made the world laugh &amp; think. I will remember &amp; honor that. A great man, artist and friend. I will miss him beyond measure."
He made us laugh. He made us cry. He ended up touching every element of the human spirit. #RIPRobinWilliams pic.twitter.com/kbEq7OwPOf
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) August 12, 2014
U.S. President Barack Obama also acknowledged the entertainer's impact to people all over the world in a statement which reads: "Robin Williams was an airman, a doctor, a genie, a nanny, a president, a professor, a bangarang Peter Pan and everything in between. "But he was one of a kind. He arrived in our lives as an alien - but he ended up touching every element of the human spirit. He made us laugh. He made us cry. He gave his immeasurable talent freely and generously to those who needed it most - from our troops stationed abroad to the marginalised on our own streets. "The Obama family offers our condolences to Robin's family, his friends, and everyone who found their voice and their verse thanks to Robin Williams."
Meanwhile, a tribute has been posted on a billboard outside Los Angeles' Laugh Factory, where Williams often performed. It reads: "Robin Williams. Rest in Peace. Make God laugh."

HBO
HBO's new comedy Silicon Valley has been enjoying a great freshman year: a second season pickup, a plum spot after megawatt hit Game of Thrones, and generally warm critical response. However, as the show approaches its first season finale it's becoming clear there's a bug with the tech world comedy: the show has a real woman problem.
When the show premiered, one of the only criticisms leveled against it was the not-so-surprising lack of female characters on the show. To date, there is still only one recurring female character, the straight-laced and professionally competent Monica, assistant to venture capitalist Peter Gregory. Monica has gotten scant development in her time on screen, mostly popping up to play mother hen to the Pied Piper guys or taking on the role of put-upon assistant to Gregory. While her competent energy is much appreciated on a show involving so many screwups and socially awkward bro-grammers, she's not exactly blazing a new path for female characters on male dominated comedies. Aren't the female characters in most "dude" comedies kind of always the straight (wo)men?
Throughout the first season's seven episodes, other women have also appeared on the show. This is unfortunately not the great news you might think. Before the gang caravaned down to TechCrunch Disrupt the only women who popped up on the show were a stripper and a scantily clad girlfriend, whose entire storyline revolved around which of the housemates she would sleep with.
The TechCrunch Disrupt storyline only served to highlight just how poorly women are portrayed on the comedy. At the conference the ratio of women to men improved slightly, but their characterization did not. We met a girl who claimed Richard was "obsessed" with her, a girl who used her feminine wiles in exchange for code, and the wife of a judge Erlich has sex with, multiple times. The only woman, besides Monica, who speaks and is not entangled in a romantic subplot is a panel judge, not exactly a fully-dimensional character. In the world of Silicon Valley, women are around to be eye candy or romantic partners, and not much more.
Preparing for the conference, Monica tells the man-children in her care that while normally the tech world is about two percent women, at Disrupt it will jump to a staggering 15 percent. In point of fact, rough figures put the number of women coders at somewhere close to 12 percent; still low but not exactly the nonentities they've been on the series so far.
And that figure only takes into account women who code; it doesn't consider all the women in other roles within the tech world, meaning we should be seeing more than one woman with a regular speaking role on the show. Women might not dominate the tech field, but they're certainly not the unicorns Silicon Valley has made them out to be.
To be fair, the real Silicon Valley is also extremely male. And the show has given nods to some of the most egregiously sexist nonsense that has gone down in the real tech world. Take Bighead's app "Nip Alert," which lets you know when the nipples of a nearby woman are erect. Even a stripper dropping into the episode pegged the app, correctly, as horribly sexist. You'd think that's something only the twisted and hilarious mind of Mike Judge could conceive, but the app actually has its roots in reality. At TechCrunch Disrupt 2013, controversy erupted when a similarly sexist app called "Titstare" was unveiled. As bad as things seem to be on the HBO comedy, they might actually be worse in real life.
Silicon Valley, the television show, has an opportunity to do what Silicon Valley, the location, has not: include women in the conversation. The show is smart and funny and painfully aware of the world it is satirizing. But despite what the writers seem to think, the world of Silicon Valley isn't a world without women. Thankfully the show has been renewed for a second season, and if Pied Piper takes off (despite its thus far horrendous conference announcement) there will be opportunities to bring new women characters (and coders) into the mix. Just like the socially awkward men that populate Silicon Valley, there's plenty of humor to be mined from the women who call the Valley their home. If only the show would make room for their stories, and their voices, to be heard.
What do you think? Do you think Silicon Valley needs more women in the cast? Sound off in the comments!
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A new multi-million dollar TV epic is to chart the 60-year reign of British monarch Queen Elizabeth II. The Crown, which has a reported budget of $160 million (£100 million), will chart the Queen's life from her marriage to Philip, Duke of Edinburgh in 1947 to the present day.
The script for the 20-hour epic will be penned by Peter Morgan, the screenwriter behind 2006 film The Queen, with the assistance of director Stephen Daldry.
Casting officials are said to be looking for three actresses to play the monarch in different stages of her life.
A source tells Britain's Daily Mail, "There will be hundreds and hundreds of roles to be cast, from prime ministers to international leaders such as the U.S. presidents she has met. And probably Nelson Mandela will be in there, too... And don't forget Prince Philip - that's going to be a huge role for an actor, or more likely several. People will play Charles (Prince of Wales), Diana (Princess of Wales), Camilla (Duchess of Cornwall), William (Prince William), Kate (Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge)... the whole lot of them."
Bosses at web streaming service Netflix have reportedly secured the rights to premiere the show worldwide in 2016.

Jordin Althaus/FOX
The Mindy Project is on the bubble. In other words, send help! The show has struggled out of the gate, but it's managed to hold on for one and a half, lovely, hilarious seasons. And we want – nay, need – a third.
The show has too much to offer before it goes riding off into the sunset – it's too young to die, and here's a few reasons why:
* Brendan DeLaurier: I may or may not have an obsession with Brendan – he's my favorite of Mindy's exes (so move on over, shoe store mogul Casey and oral surgeon Bill Hader). His reaction to Maria Menounos' rendition of "Santa Baby" ("You were offering up your womanhood to Santa in exchange for material gifts!") may just be one of my favorite lines on the show, ever. Heck if Danny Castellano wasn't on the scene, I'd be pulling for a reunion: his douchey pretentiousness is unparalleled in its hilarity.
* Peter and Morgan Forever: As Danny and Mindy have grown closer and closer, Peter and Morgan have spent a lot of recent storylines together (guess fifth-wheel castmate Dr. Reed has his unhealthy relationship with food to keep him company). Even better, they've been thrown together by mutual shipping of Mindy and handsome-lawyer-Cliff – they spent the entirety of "You've Got Sext" sending him … you guessed it, sexts from her phone, and they recently (heartwrenchingly) convinced him to get back together with her following their break-up. And watching them suffer through the dulcet strains of Cliff sobbing along to Jewel through the air vents? A+.
* Will-They-Won't-They?: No good romantic comedy is complete without a will-they-won't-they couple, and The Mindy Project has the ace in the hole with that one. Mindy and Danny started out quite adversarial, but have grown closer and closer as friends, and in the midseason finale, they finally kissed. But it's far too soon for it all to be peaches and cream – Mindy even hinted at the fact that their impromptu airplane makeout may lead to some regret; so it looks like the two are in for some more turbulence. And we need them to be able to see them through their bumpy ride to happily ever after.
The Mindy Project is a show that's only improved with time (I'm not even going to make the standard "fine wine" joke) and our lives simply wouldn't be the same without it.
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DreamWorks
For the bulk of every Rocky and Bullwinkle episode, moose and squirrel would engage in high concept escapades that satirized geopolitics, contemporary cinema, and the very fabrics of the human condition. With all of that to work with, there's no excuse for why the pair and their Soviet nemeses haven't gotten a decent movie adaptation. But the ingenious Mr. Peabody and his faithful boy Sherman are another story, intercut between Rocky and Bullwinkle segments to teach kids brief history lessons and toss in a nearly lethal dose of puns. Their stories and relationship were much simpler, which means that bringing their shtick to the big screen would entail a lot more invention — always risky when you're dealing with precious material.
For the most part, Mr. Peabody &amp; Sherman handles the regeneration of its heroes aptly, allowing for emotionally substance in their unique father-son relationship and all the difficulties inherent therein. The story is no subtle metaphor for the difficulties surrounding gay adoption, with society decreeing that a dog, no matter how hyper-intelligent, cannot be a suitable father. The central plot has Peabody hosting a party for a disapproving child services agent and the parents of a young girl with whom 7-year-old Sherman had a schoolyard spat, all in order to prove himself a suitable dad. Of course, the WABAC comes into play when the tots take it for a spin, forcing Peabody to rush to their rescue.
Getting down to personals, we also see the left brain-heavy Peabody struggle with being father Sherman deserves. The bulk of the emotional marks are hit as we learn just how much Peabody cares for Sherman, and just how hard it has been to accept that his only family is growing up and changing.
DreamWorks
But more successful than the new is the film's handling of the old — the material that Peabody and Sherman purists will adore. They travel back in time via the WABAC Machine to Ancient Egypt, the Renaissance, and the Trojan War, and 18th Century France, explaining the cultural backdrop and historical significance of the settings and characters they happen upon, all with that irreverent (but no longer racist) flare that the old cartoons enjoyed. And oh... the puns.
Mr. Peabody &amp; Sherman is a f**king treasure trove of some of the most amazingly bad puns in recent cinema. This effort alone will leave you in awe.
The film does unravel in its final act, bringing the science-fiction of time travel a little too close to the forefront and dropping the ball on a good deal of its emotional groundwork. What seemed to be substantial building blocks do not pay off in the way we might, as scholars of animated family cinema, have anticipated, leaving the movie with an unfinished feeling.
But all in all, it's a bright, compassionate, reasonably educational, and occasionally funny if not altogether worthy tribute to an old favorite. And since we don't have our own WABAC machine to return to a time of regularly scheduled Peabody and Sherman cartoons, this will do okay for now.
If nothing else, it's worth your time for the puns.
3/5
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Fox Broadcasting/Fox Broadcasting
It's fair to compare The Mindy Project with New Girl. After all, both are relatively new female-helmed Fox sitcoms with an acerbic wit. But which one walks out of the ring as champion? Let's take a look.
The Protagonist
Maybe it's because I recently read Mindy Kaling's memoir Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? and developed a deep and unabiding appreciation for her sense of humor, but I would go out on a limb and say that Kaling has better comic chops than Zooey Deschanel does.
There's also something worth noting about the construction of the two characters: Mindy is self-centered, vain, and at times superficial, while Jess is nurturing, artistic, and quirky – in other words, Mindy's characterization teeters on the edge of unlikable, while Jess seems perfectly engineered to pull on our hipster heartstrings. But in the end, who's the more relatable character? Who do we root for more? And most importantly, who's funnier? Mindy, Mindy, and Mindy.
New Girl: 0, The Mindy Project: 1
The Romance
There's a bit of an uneven playing field here. Mindy and Jess are in different points in their love story timelines, after all (Mindy and Danny just kissed for the first time, while Nick and Jess have been dating for months). Now that the New Girl pair has gotten together, it seems that the Moonlighting curse has gotten to them. Their couple storylines are for the most part unsatisfying and, well ... bad (running away to Mexico? Really?). Time will tell if The Mindy Project handles Mindy and Danny better – we hope and pray and cross our fingers that they'll be able to maintain their sizzle at least a little longer.
And when it comes to Danny vs. Nick? Danny all the way – his "Try Again" Christmas dance alone is enough to secure him the prize.
New Girl: 0, The Mindy Project: 2
The Main Players
Both have had their fair share of flailing: New Girl has notoriously struggled with the characterization of Winston, and The Mindy Project's regular cast seems to have some sort of revolving door policy, with quite a few characters inexplicably disappearing, never to be seen again. That said, with the core casts they have now, I think New Girl has Mindy beat. Dr. Jeremy Reed, Dr. Peter Prentice, and Morgan Tookers (funny as they are) can't quite edge out Schmidt, Coach, and Winston – even though they do fit the same basic archetypes (womanizer, masculine bro, and just plain weird).
New Girl: 1, The Mindy Project: 2
The Story
New Girl started strong with a critically well-received freshman season, and continued to crank out good storylines throughout the second season. Their third season is another story – it's experienced a pretty steep decline, with only a few episodes ("Birthday" is one example) hitting the caliber of earlier seasons. The Mindy Project, on the other hand? Still on the rise, with consistently good writing (so please don't cancel it).
New Girl: 1, The Mindy Project: 3
I've shown my true colors as a staunch Mindy Project champion with growing anti-New Girl leanings. Now, what about you?
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Wrote the screenplay for "Hereafter," a film which tells three parallel stories about three people affected by death in different ways; directed by Clint Eastwood

Adapted his play "Frost/Nixon" into a feature film, which was directed by Ron Howard; earned Golden Globe and Academy Award nominations for Best Screenplay

Became involved in student theatre, while attending Leeds University

Wrote "The Jury" a British miniseries starring Gerard Butler and Derek Jacobi

Wrote the HBO drama "The Special Relationship"; earned an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Writing for a Miniseries, Movie or a Dramatic Special

With Jeremy Brook, adapted Giles Foden's award-winning debut novel "The Last King of Scotland"

Wrote "The Deal" a television drama about the power-sharing deal between Tony Blair and Gordon Brown

Penned first play "Frost/Nixon" about David Frost's 1977 television interviews with former United States President Richard Nixon; earned a Tony nomination for Best Play

Co-wrote with Wadlow an input on the script of John Schlesinger's movie "Madame Sousatzka"

Summary

After nearly two decades paying his dues by writing industrial videos and TV projects, Briton Peter Morgan emerged as the "it" screenwriter of 2006, thanks to the royal successes of two critically acclaimed films, "The Queen" and "Last King of Scotland. " This celebrated storyteller gave the historical drama genre a much-needed shot in the arm with his apolitical approach to portraying public figures as real human beings involved in interesting and complex relationships - characterizations he p tically supported with both fact and fiction. Morgan was also applauded for breaking with the long British tradition of merely satirizing high-profile figures with a nervous laugh (as in the grotesque caricatures of the "Spitting Image" puppets); instead delving into the inner lives in a way that was compelling and completely entertaining to critics and audiences alike. As the 2006 awards nominations began to roll in, it became clear that Morgan was on his way to becoming a member of a very small club - screenwriters who movie audiences asked for by name.

Name

Role

Comments

Arthur Morgenthau

Father

German Jew who fled the Nazis; died of a heart attack when Morgan was nine

Inga Morgenthau

Mother

Polish Catholic who fled the Soviets

Lila Schwarzenberg

Wife

Austrian

Education

Name

University of Leeds

Notes

"I have a really well-developed muscle of insurgency in regards to good manners," he says with a puckish smile. "I have this irresistible urge to misbehave. If there's too much gentility around, I want to get a mallet out." - Morgan to the Los Angeles Times, April 22, 2007